On March 9, 2011, new rules regarding applications to City Planning for the certification required to obtain parking in the Hudson Yards Area went into effect. View the adopted rules.

Update December 10, 2010:

On December 10, 2010 the Chair of City Planning certified an application (N 110112 ZCM) for up to 52 accessory parking spaces at 330 West 39th Street (Block 762, Lots 13 and 60). This certification shall lapse after two years if substantial construction, as defined in 93-81, of the new building which includes the subject accessory off-street parking spaces has not occurred.

The addition of these spaces shall increase the Hudson Yards Development Parking Supply by 52. Also, as a result of this new construction, a public parking facility on the site shall be discontinued, and the elimination of such facility shall operate to reduce the Reservoir Surplus by 130.

The Department of City Planning is proposing a zoning text amendment to the parking regulations of the Special Hudson Yards District, the 42nd Street Perimeter Area of the Special Clinton District and Preservation Area P-2 of the Special Garment Center District. The area is located within Manhattan Community Districts 4 and 5 and is generally bounded by West 43rd Street on the north; Eighth Avenue to the east; West 30th Street on the south; and Eleventh Avenue on the west (see inset map).

The proposed text amendment implements a Stipulation and Order of Settlement in Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association v. Bloomberg filed on May 5, 2009 in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. The stipulation resolves litigation challenging the enactment of the off-street parking regulations under the Hudson Yards Zoning Text Amendment (N 040500(A) ZRM) in January 2005. While required for this purpose, the proposed Hudson Yards Parking Text Amendment also addresses issues that have arisen since 2005, and which would have warranted changes in Hudson Yards parking regulations, even in the absence of litigation.

In 2005, the Hudson Yards Zoning Text Amendment enacted special parking regulations in the Hudson Yards Area. The regulations were designed to help ensure that parking capacity displaced through redevelopment of the area would be replaced insofar as possible, and that parking demand generated by new development would be met.

Changes subsequent to enactment of the text amendment include a decrease in auto commuters to the area, scaled back development plans for the Javits Center and replacement of the proposed Sports and Convention Center over the Western Rail Yard with a proposed mixed-use development that includes up to 1,600 accessory off-street parking spaces. These changes will have the effect of reducing the demand for parking calculated as the basis for the 2005 text amendment. Moreover, City policy initiatives for the Manhattan central business districts have moved in the direction of seeking to reduce congestion and promote transit use.

In summary, the proposed text amendment would amend the Hudson Yards Area parking regulations as follows:

There would no longer be required off-street parking;

All off-street parking spaces constructed in the Hudson Yards area would be required to be located on the same zoning lots as the uses to which they are accessory;

Public use would not be allowed for parking spaces accessory to residential uses;

Permitted parking ratios would be reduced for new developments;

The total amount of off-street parking in new developments would be subject to a "hard cap" of 6,084 spaces;

A public parking "reservoir" of 821 spaces would be maintained to serve the projected future demand that would be generated by workers and residents in buildings that existed in 2005 and are expected to remain, Convention Center workers and visitors, and Midtown commuters;

The number of public parking spaces in the reservoir, and off-street parking spaces would not exceed a total of 6,905 spaces (6,084 + 821)1

To the extent that the reservoir remains in surplus, the sum of such surplus and the off-street spaces constructed in new buildings may not exceed 6,084;

No additional public or accessory parking would be created by City Planning Commission authorization or special permit, except if the surplus is eliminated and the reservoir falls below the 2025 target of 821 spaces, and then only to the extent of such "reservoir deficit".

The proposed amendments, discussed in greater detail in the slide show presentation above, have a similar objective to the 2005 Special Hudson Yards District amendments in that the amendments continue to establish parking ratios to meet the demand of residents, workers and visitors in the Hudson Yards Area. However, these ratios are adjusted to address changing conditions and public policies.

Project Area Survey and Development Study
In order to establish the initial Hudson Yards Development Parking Supply, Reservoir Parking Supply, and initial reservoir surplus, the Department of City Planning conducted a survey of lawful, public parking facilities in operation and a study of new buildings permitted, but not yet issued a certificate of occupancy. Following adoption of the text amendment, the Department will periodically update and post on this website the calculation of the Hudson Yards Parking Development Supply and the Reservoir Surplus to verify that the sum remains less than or equal to the Hard Cap, as well as periodically update certain additional calculations for determining whether parking is permitted. View the survey and study.

As required by the settlement, DCP has recently updated the Reservoir Surplus as well as certain additional calculations (see above, under the heading “Update February 7, 2012:”).

Public Review
On October 19th, 2009 the Department of City Planning referred the Hudson Yards Parking Text Amendment application (N 100119ZRM) to Community Board 4 and the Manhattan Borough President. The Community Board provided conditional approval of the application on December 2, 2009. The Manhattan Borough President did not submit a recommendation on this application.

The City Planning Commission hearing was held on January 6, 2010 and on February 24, 2010 the City Planning Commission approved the application with modifications*. (Read the CPC Report).

On April 14, 2010 the City Council adopted the Hudson Yards Parking Text Amendment with modifications**. View the adopted text amendment.
The text changes are now in effect.

*CPC Modifications The Commission modified the text by inserting a new subparagraph to the list of the general goals for the District, which will inform readers as to the goal of limiting the amount of street parking with the objective of creating an area with a transit and pedestrian-oriented character.

The Commission also modified the text to provide for a two-part calculation in the Chairperson’s certification of any proposed parking in the Hudson Yards Area (except on the Eastern Rail Yard), with the first calculation unchanged from the original proposed zoning text (and consistent with the Stipulation), and the second relating to the actual physical count of parking spaces. This will provide assurance that the actual physical count of spaces will not exceed the “hard cap” of the zoning.

To address concerns relating to the counting of parking provided at the Eastern Rail Yard towards the Hudson Yards Development Parking Supply “hard cap”, the Commission also modified the text ensuring that the cap will be limited to 5,084 (the original proposed “hard cap” of 6,084 minus the 1,000 spaces permitted at the Eastern Rail Yard) until the development at the Eastern Rail Yard is completed. At that point, if fewer than 1,000 spaces have been provided, the difference between the number of spaces provided and 1,000 will be added to the “hard cap” calculations. This will provide further assurance that the total amount of parking provided for the Eastern Rail Yard, when combined with the Hudson Yards Development Parking Supply and Reservoir Parking Supply, will not exceed 6,905 spaces. Finally, the Commission also modified the text to include a number of technical clarifications that will make this text amendment easier for the public to understand and for public agencies to administer.

**Council Modifications
The NYC Council modified the text by adding to the items of information that the Department of City Planning would make available to the public some of the calculations for the Chairperson’s certifications (noted above in the discussion of the “CPC Modifications” and also in the CPC Report). Specifically, the calculations required when obtaining the certification for permitted parking when the reservoir surplus is greater than or equal to zero would be made available.

1A 306-space public parking garage located at block 1089 lots 3 and 5 was constructed after the May 2009 survey. However, since this site is subject to a 1989 special permit for a public parking garage it is counted neither as Hudson Yards Development Parking Supply nor Reservoir Parking Supply.